Rare Species
Geralt and Jaskier were approached by Borch Three Jackdaws and his two Zerrikanian companions Tèa and Vèa. They sought Geralt out hoping to gain his assistance in slaying a green dragon that had landed across the border in King Niedamir’s mountains. Locals spotted it and went after it in search of treasure. They succeeded only in wounding the creature and angering it so righteously that it swooped down from its lair and set half a hillside ablaze. The king is set to marry the princess of a rival kingdom, Malleore. He’s commissioned a hunt to kill it and four teams have signed on. The winner gets the dragon treasure board and the title of lord over one of his vassal states. Geralt initially declined Borch’s offer as he didn’t kill dragons. However, Borch was in need of one final adventure, and he thought that killing a dragon would bring him that. With a Witcher on his team, he’d be unstoppable. Joining them on the hunt were a group of dwarves and reavers. With the introduction of Yennefer and Eyck of Denesle as the fourth team, Geralt agreed to join Borch on his hunt, much to Jaskier’s disapproval. Before the hunt count start, there was already had blood between the teams, specifically the dwarves and reavers. Leader of the dwarves group, Yarpen Zigrin blamed the reavers for stealing from him, threatening to piss in his gruel to get even. Yennefer greeted Geralt and Jaskier. She couldn’t help but wonder why she kept running into Geralt despite walking the earth for decades prior and never meeting a single Witcher. She explained that she was there to accompany Eyck as he was to slay the dragon. The doppler, known only as the Adonis, continued to parade himself as Mousesack as he escorted her and Dara to the Nilfgaard army. Ciri asked him several questions regarding Geralt and the circumstances around her connection to him. The Adonis explained that Ciri was bound to Geralt via the Law of Surprise and that soon enough, they will be united. Jaskier tried his luck with Tèa and Vèa, hoping to spark a romance. However, neither are interested. They explain that to hunt with Borch is an honor unsullied by payment. While on the path to kill the dragon, Geralt and Borch were only a few feet behind Yennefer and Eyck. In that time, Borch realized that Geralt was in love with her. They reached the hillside scorched by the dragon, a creature that tended to avoid people. Geralt questioned why it hadn’t yet left. Borch replied that the beast much becoming desperate. Jaskier came face-to-face with a hirikka while picking berries for Tèa and Vèa. Geralt surmised that the creature was starving and of no danger to them. Eyck completely disregarded his advice and kill it. Geralt explained that it fury fed it, it would’ve gone away. All four groups decide to settle down on the mountain side. Geralt , Jaskier, Borch, Tèa, Vèa, Yennefer, Eyck, Yarpen, and Boholt roasted the hirikka and feasted. However, Borch warned Eyck against eating a certain part of the creature. Another warning that went unconsidered by Eyck. “A great knight never wastes a kill.”, he replied. It’s why he’ll make a great lord after slaying the dragon. With Yennefer as his mage. Boholt interrupts and makes an obscene remark towards Yennefer. Eyck took his leave as his stomach started to gurgle after failing to heed Borch’s warning. They discussed how they rightfully son of Nilfgaard had returned and started burning through the south. With Fringilla as his mage. Won’t be long before they try to take Sodden. Jaskier doubted the mere existence of dragons until Geralt assured them to be real, though their numbers were dwindling. Green dragons are the most common. Red dragons less so. Black dragons are the rarest. Borch remarks that gold dragons are the rarest. Geralt retorted that they a myth. Whether that be true or not, gold dragons met the same fate of any other dragon; they died out. Dara questioned how Mousesack survived the attack, growing more suspicious of him by the minute. The Adonis, disguised as Mousesack, claimed to have been captured and pulled through a portal by Nilfgaard, where he was kidnapped and held prisoner for days. With Geralt’s help, he escaped. Dara didn’t trust Mousesack and informed Ciri of his suspicion. Looking to erase any ounce of doubt, the Adonis gave Ciri Queen Calanthe’s sash. Yennefer awakened the following morning to find Eyck missing. Yarpen found him dead by a tree with his pants down and throat slit. Nevertheless, the hunt continued. Yarpen suspected that the Reavers killed Eyck, and so he knew of a short cut across the mountains that he only shared with Geralt, Jaskier, Borch, Tèa and Vèa. Proposing a truce until they reached the next peak. Geralt tried to convince Yennefer to join them on the shorter path. Much like Yarpen, Yennefer suspected that Boholt killed her escort before he could accomplish the one task she needed him for. Yennefer revealed there are certain healing properties dragons are said to possess. However, Geralt informed her that fertility cures using fresh dragon hearts were a myth. Geralt also didn’t believe she’d make a good mother. Yennefer explained that she wanted her choice to bare child back. Geralt informed her that witchers can’t bare children either. They were made sterile because their lifestyle weren’t suited for a child. He then unintentionally revealed to Yennefer his Child Surprise. Ciri asked the Adonis, posing as Mousesack, if he ever stopped missing Skellige. He left his home to raise her. Mousesack claimed that he was very home sick. She then asked if he missed the cold as test as the real Mousesack hated cold. In that moment, Ciri and Dara realized that they had not be in the company of the real Mousesack. When the Adonis revealed that he killed Mousesack and took his form, Dara charged at him with a silver knife, causing him to burn. Ciri grabbed the knife and held it to the creature face, causing his true form to surface. Dara pinned him to a tree and demanded answers. Ciri answered that there’s something inside of her that made her special, that Nilfgaard wanted. She then told Dara to kill the Adonis. Dara hesitated, allowing the Adonis to break free and knock him out, forcing Ciri to flee into the woods. Yarpen and his men have guided Geralt, Jaskier, Yennefer, Borch, Tèa and Vèa to a path fairly slim path lined with wooden boards alongside the mountain. A tight squeeze for anyone larger than that of a dwarf. The board broke beneath Borch’s feet and he falls, as does Tèa and Vèa. The only thing preventing them from plummeting to the ground is Geralt holding on to the other end of the chain. Borch told Geralt to let him go. When Geralt refused, Borch let go of the chain, shortly followed by Tèa and Vèa. Jaskier told Geralt that he did his best to save them. There wasn’t much he could do. He suggested that they give up on hunt and provided Geralt give him another chance to prove himself as a worthy travel companion, they head for the coast. Geralt entered Yennefer’s tent, which she had spelled to make much larger on the inside than outside. Yennefer admitted to being worried for Geralt on the mountain. Her scent was mesmerizing. The moment he dreaded most every time she left is when it faded. Yennefer reminded Geralt that he left first in Rinde. She woke up in the destroyed house, and he was gone. Geralt asked for forgiveness and kissed Yennefer. After having sex, Yennefer questioned if they rumors were true about witchers being devoid of human emotion. Geralt explained that was not true. People say whatever justified despising his kind. If they choice had been his, Yennefer wondered what Geralt would’ve been instead of a witcher. Much like Geralt, Yennefer didn’t have much of a choice in being a mage. She always dreamed of becoming important to someone some day. Geralt told Yennefer that she was important to him. Yennefer woke up the following morning to find Geralt still at her side. At a quick pace, they could make it back to the Pensive Dragon before sundown, however, Yennefer had no intentions of turning around. She was still intent on killing the dragon. She then rushed off to the dragon’s cave after noticing the dwarves were already ahead of her. While running from the Adonis, Ciri is capture by Cahir. If it had been any other way to extract Ciri, he would’ve done it. All he’s ever wanted was to fulfill her destiny. The White Flame has brought them together. She was the key to everything. As Cahir was fetching something to eat, he was confronted by the Adonis, who had taken on his appearance and in doing so, discovered that Ciri truly was. A fight ensued and Cahir was stabbed in the process, allowing the Adonis to escape. Yennefer caught up to the dwarves, freezing them in place, allowing for her to pass them by and enter the cave. Once inside, she found the wounded green dragon protecting its egg. Tèa and Vèa appeared and demanded Yennefer stay back. Geralt arrived soon thereafter. The green dragon was dead, but she was not alone. Enter the gold dragon, who revealed itself to be Borch. When the dragoness was injured, her cry was heard by Villentretenmerth. But the egg could not be moved or the life inside it would die, which is why the dragon attacked. She was as protecting her baby. That’s when Borch, Tèa and Vèa heard about the king’s hunt and realized they had to keep their enemies close. So Borch came to find Geralt, the knight who was taught to save dragons rather than kill them. Boholt and his gang of Reavers arrive, forcing Geralt, Yennefer, Tèa and Vèa to defend the dragons. Geralt and Yennefer defended one entrance to the cave while Tèa and Vèa defended the other. However, there was one Reaver left inside the cave from the initial fight. He crawled his way towards the green dragon and her egg. However, Borch intervened and set him ablaze. Just outside the cave, Geralt and Yennefer are faced with Boholt and one remaining Reaver. Yennefer made sure that it was her who killed Boholt. Meanwhile, Jaskier awakened at the camp site all alone. He called out to Geralt and the dwarves with no response. By the time he made his way to the cave, the entrance is littered with Reaver bodies and much to his surprise, Tèa and Vèa are very much still alive and defending the cave. Yarpen and the dwarves unfreeze only yo realize they’ve missed the action. Borch has reverted to his human form. In return for Yarpen looking the other way, Borch offered them teeth belonging to the green dragon to take to the king as proof of its demise. And if the king wasn’t satisfied, he could expect the body of a dragon to he stopped down upon his royal wedding. Ciri was bound to a tree. She could hear footsteps approaching. It was Dara. He released Ciri from her bounds, but he blamed her for the trouble they were in. Had they stayed in Brokilon, they’d be safe. Ciri, however, had no way of knowing. Nonetheless, Dara fears that he’ll be dead too if he stayed with Ciri any longer. She was just like her grandmother, Calanthe. Bringing terror and death. Dara told Ciri to find a new family as he could no longer be that for her. Borch declared that his child be his final first. His legacy must endure. He thanked Geralt and Yennefer for all their helping in defending him and his family. He noted that he sees why Geralt didn’t want to lose her. Yennefer questioned the meaning behind this, and Geralt revealed that he was referring to Rinde and their encounter with the Djinn. That was why they couldn’t escape each other. Because Geralt wished for it. Yennefer took that to mean that her feelings for Geralt were also magic, though he insisted that wasn’t true. An argument ensued, resulting in the two parting ways. Borch saved them both a lot of hurt with a little pain now. He revealed that Yennefer would never regain her womb, and Geralt would lose Yennefer. Borch informed Geralt that he was still missing his legacy and destiny. Geralt grew angry and blamed Jaskier for all his recent troubles. The Child Surprise. The djinn. All of it could be traced back to Jaskier. Geralt remarked that if life could give him one blessing, it would be to take Jaskier off his hands. Jaskier received Geralt’s message loud and clear. With that being said, he’d get the story from the others to write his song and depart. Cahir murdered everyone inside the tavern to insure they weren’t the doppler. As Fringilla cleaned his wound, he remarked that a simple test of silver would’ve sufficed. Fringilla stated that they could pull more soldiers and keep searching for Ciri. Fringilla reminded Cahir that it was he who rose up against the Usurper and helped free their people from their chains. She witnessed the White Flame crawl on him and anoint him. Ciri may be the key, but Cahir was the commissioner. They will find Ciri and spread the White Flame’s supremacy throughout all kingdoms.